1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image shooting apparatus for shooting a video image at a predetermined frame rate, and especially relates to an image shooting technology for shooting an image by changing the frame rate in the middle of the shooting.
2. Background Art
There has been known an image shooting technology for shooting video images at different frame rates (hereinafter, also referred to as “shooting frame rates”).
For example, when an image is shot at a frame rate higher than a normal frame rate and the recorded image is reproduced at the normal frame rate, a slow-motion image is displayed.
The Patent Document 1 identified below discloses an image shooting apparatus for shooting a video image by changing the shooting frame rate in the middle of the shooting. For example, when the image shooting apparatus receives a predetermined trigger signal from outside the apparatus while shooting a video image at a normal frame rate, it starts to perform a high-speed shooting at a high frame rate. The image shooting apparatus records the image by changing the signal charge output cycle of the image sensor, depending on the frame rate.
With this structure, when the image shot by the apparatus is reproduced, images are reproduced seamlessly continuing from an image shot at the normal, frame rate to an image shot at the high frame rate, namely, continuing from a normal-speed video image to a slow motion video image.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication. No. 2003-87630